Record feeding mechanism



Dec. 15, 1931. L w. LANGFORD ET AL RECORD FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed Feb. 21, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 f/v VEN TORS Lh/L/marozp H. C. YAE GER.

HTTO/ENEY Dec. 15, 1931. L. w. LANGFORD ET AL 1,836,328

RECORD FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed Feb. 21, 1928 s Sheets-Sheet s F/QQ.

I N VENTORS L. W. L flNG FORD H. C. YAE ER Patented Dec. 15, 1931 UNITED STATE LEONARD W. LANG-FORD, OF NO V p I RWELL, AN HARRY o. AEGER, p m ssncnvsnrrs; nssrenons To'LA'NeEoRn' sALEs AUDIT MACHINE COMPANY, oE- I BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, a oonronnrronor w 1 4 RECORD :EEEDING MECHANISM Original application filed rename, 1928, Serial No. 255,963. Divided i r y 9,,1929. Seria1No.377,022.

This application'is a division 'oftabulating machine application Serial No. 255,963, filed February 21, 1928, and' relates particularly -to the record feeding mechanism thereof. ""Thesev records may be either in strip form as shown in a co-pending. application to L. Langford, Serial No. 220,243 filed September 17, 1927; or individual cards formed'by shearing thestrip between The records. arefed intermittently for the.

purpose stated in the'parent-application or for any other desired purpose. The primary object of the invention is to provide a feed- .-..ingmechanism which is adapted to feed rec- -ords in either. strip orindividual card form and to feed the same intermittently.

Each record on which our machine i ed to operate is provided with. a pair tion holes therein and'itisanother object of ourinvention to provide a novel mechanism for accurately feeding these recordsintermittently, either individuallyfor in strip form, and to keep the records properly-lo- .ncated through the agency of these location 2 'holes. a 1 Anotherobje'ct of the invention .is the .provision of means'for stopping therecord feed s adaptof locawithout stopping the operation of the record 1 feeding means; I p w $0" Wit-hthe above and other objects in View our invention consistsin the features of construction and operation setjforthin the following specification and-illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. In such drawings we have illustrated certain embodiments of our invention but it will be understoodthat the invention oanbeotherwise embodied andthat the drawings arenot to 'be construed as defining or limiting'the scope of the invention,

theclaims appended'hereto being relied upon for that purpose.- i

detail view of the 50 feed stopping mechalnsm.

the independent records.

. tween the plate 8 1 guide chute l3,

. vidual record cards, 20

tion. It will be noted and this application filed Jui Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the machine online IV'IV of Fig. 1

ig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on line VV of Fig. 1. V i Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional vieW on line VIVI of'Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail takenon line VII-VII IofFig. 6.

Fig. 8 shows a stripj'of to be fed b the machine.

Fig. 9 s ows records adapted The feeding I shelf 1 supported on another shelf 2 hung on flanges 3 of the frame 4 supportedby legs 5. The feed box 6 is an independent unit embodying vertical side plates? and a horizontal feed plate 8. The plate 8 is supported by a pair of L-bars 9 secured to and extending horizontally along the inner faces of the side plates 7. Transverse bars 10 secured to the bars 9 plates to eachother.

A record feeding channel 11 is formed be the bars 10. Th

1, and emergesfrom the machine at 14..

The recordis fed through the channel 11 by 'meansof a plurality ofrefc'ord feeding means relatively spacedalong the channel in a manner to pass the record from one feeding means t This mechanism comprises a plurality of pairs of feeding wheels 15, each pair bein coaxial on a shaft 16. Beneath each whee 15is a cooperating roller 17, each pair of rollers being mounted on a. shaft 18. The plates 8 and 12 are slotted (Fig. 2) to re ceive the wheels 15 and rollers 17, the wheels and rollers being adapted to grip the record therebetwee'n. Referring to the figures of the drawings:

In Fig. 8 is shown a strip 19 of records, and in Fig. 9is shown formed by shearing the strip 19. Each of these records is provided with a pair of locatingholes 21 therein in such position asto be in alignment with the wheels 15 during the feeding operathat/the greater arcu serve to anchor the side and a plate '12 secured to erecord is entered at. a. passes through the channel 0 the next adjacent means.

a plurality of indi P T NT m n x w a plurality of individual j .cards arranged in the feeding order.

mechanism is mounted. on" a ate portion 22 of the periphery of each wheel 15 is narrower than the diameter of the holes 21, relatively wide means 23 being provided at a remaining smaller portion thereof. Power means, hereinafter described, is provided for rotating the several feeding wheels at the same speed in the cirection indicated by the arrows. When the strip is fed into the chute 18 against the first pair of wheels 15, the wheels and roll ers grip the strip and feed the same along the channel 11 until the narrow wheel peripheries 22 enter the first pair of holes 21. The wheels thereupon ride directly on the rollers 17 through the holes at this time and the strip is not gripped. The movement of the strip therefore stops untila wide portion 23 again engages the strip and restarts the feed. The wheels then continue the feeding until the next pair of holes 21 are engaged.

As illustrated in Fig. 8, the distance between the axes of adjacent wheels 15 is equal to the distance between the adjacent holes 21 of two adjoining records of the strip 19. All three pairs of wheels 15 thereby act simultaneously on the strip in the feeding, stopping and restarting thereof. It should be particularly noted that because of this simultaneous action the feeding means is adapted to feed the records either in strip form or as independent cards as shown in Fig. 9.

The roller shafts 18 extend through vertical slots 24 in the side plates 7 and both ends thereof are supported on bell cranks 25 pivoted at one end 26. Springs 27 connected to the other ends of the bell cranks normally hold the same in a position pressing the roll- =ors 17 resiliently against the wheels 15. A

bar 28 is slidably mounted. on each side plate 7 and each is provided with three shoulders 29 to engage its three bell cranks. Springs 30 normally hold the bars 28 in'the rearward position. The forward ends of the bars 28 are engaged by a cam shaft 31 provided with a handle 32 extending outwardly of the machine. Depressing of the handle 32 is adapted to draw the two bars 28 forwardly and lower the bell cranks 25 and the roller shafts 18. Such movement operates to stop the feeding movement of the records since when the rollers 17 are withdrawn the wheels 15 lose their frictional grip on the strip or record.

Power for operating rived from a motor M. motor shaft meshes with a gear 34 on a shaft 35. The record feeding mechanism is driven from the shaft as follows (Fig. 4) Spiral gears 36 and 3'1 shaft 38, flexible connection 39, shaft 40, pinion 41 and gear 42 serve to drive a. vertical shaft 43. A bevel gear 44 on this shaft meshes with a bevel gear 45 on the intermediate feed wheel the machine is de- A pinion 33 on the shaft 16. A gear 46 is mounted on each of the three shafts 16 and these three gears are connected by two idler gears 47. The roller shafts 18 are driven by pinions 48 on such shafts in mesh with the gears 46. It will be understood that the gears 46 are identical and that therefore the shafts 16 are uniformly driven at the same speed. It will also be understood that the circumferential dimension of the feed wheels 15 and the width of the cards 20 are such that one card is fed to each rotation of such wheels.

The feeding operation is substantially as follows: I

The front end of the strip (Fig. 8) is placed in the chute 13 into contact with the first pair of feed wheels 15. These wheels feed the strip until the narrow peripheral portions 22 engage in the holes 21. This serves to properly align the strip since the strip will stop with the first pair of holes 21 directly beneath the first pair of feed wheels. When the wide portions 23 engage and restart the strip itis again fed along until the next pair of holes 21 are engaged. As shown in Fig. 8, the holes 21 are spaced a distance exactly equal to the spacing of the shafts 16. Therefore when one pair of wheels engage in a pair of holes the next pair of wheels engage in the next pair of holes, etc. It will also be understood that the peripheral dimension 22 is greater than the distance between two adjacent holes 21. For this reason the strip always has an appreciable dwell after each feeding operation, during which the feed wheels are rotating idly in the holes 21.

By referring to Fig. 9 it will be understood that the mechanism will feed independent cards 20 in the same manner and arrangement as when the same are connected in strip form. When shearing the strip 19 into independent cards, a narrow strip is cut out between each two adjacent records. This operation removes the crease which isformed when the strip is fan folded into pack form.

By referring to the parent application it will be noted that the dwell in the feed of the records permits certain operations incidental to the sensing of the records to be performed.

We claim:

1. A record feeding mechanism comprisingthe combination of a support for the records, a plurality of feeding wheels relatively spaced along the support with their axes extending transversely to the line of record feed thereon, rollers cooperating with the wheels in a manner to grip the record therebetween and move the same along the support, the greater arcuate portion of the periphery of each wheel being narrower than the diameter of a locating hole in each record in alignment with the wheels during the feeding operation whereby the feeding movement of the record is interrupted by the engaging of the wheel with its roller entirely through the combination of such hole, means for automatically re-starting the record after a predetermined inter ruption, the wheels being so relatively loa plurality of feeding wheels relatively spaced alongv the support with their axesextending transversely to the line of record feed thereon, rollers cooperating with the wheels in a manner to grip the record therebetween and move the same along the support, the greater arcuate portion of the periphery of each wheel being narrower than the diameter of a locating hole in each record in alignment with the wheels during the feeding operation whereby the feeding movement of the record is interrupted by the engaging of the wheel with its roller entirely through such hole,

means for automatically re-starting the record after a predetermined interruption, the wheels being so relatively located that a record is passed by one feeding wheel to its next adjacent wheel, means for rotating the Wheels at the same peripheral speed, and a unitary means for stopping the record feed without stopping the rotation of the said wheels by withdrawing all the said rollers from cooperation with their said wheels.

3. A record feeding mechanism comprising the combination of a support for the records, a plurality of pairs of feeding wheels, the wheels of each pair being coaxial and the respective pairs being relatively spaced along the support, rollers cooperating with the wheels in a manner adapted to grip the record therebetween and move the same along the support, the greater arcuate portion of each wheel being narrower than the diameter of locating holes in the records in align- V ment with the wheels during the feeding Operation whereby the feeding movement of the record is interrupted for a predetermined pause by the engaging ofthe wheels with their rollers entirely through such holes, and

means for rotating the wheels in synchronism and re-starting the record at the end of each of said predetermined interruptions. V

4. Ina mechanism for intermittently feeding records each having a locating hole therein, the combination of a, support for the records, a plurality of record feeding means relatively spaced along th support and acting on the records in alignment with said holes therein, the feeding means acting frictionally on the recordsto pass them along and betently starting such records after a predetermined pause at said holes.

5. In a mechanism for intermittently feeding recordseach having a locating hole therein, the combinationof a support for the records, a plurality of recordfeeding means relatively spaced along the support and acting on the records in alignment with said holes therein, the feedingmeans acting frictionally on the records to pass them along and being so relatively spaced that each record is passed by one of said feeding means onto the succeeding feeding means and being inoperative to feed a record when engaged within said holes, means operating synchronously with the feeding means for intermittently starting such records after." a predetermined pause at said holes, and means for stopping the record feed without stopping the operation of the record feeding means.

6. A record feeding mechanism comprisingthe combination of a support for the records, a plurality of feeding wheels relatively spaced along the support with their axes extending transversely to the line of record feed and their peripheries adapted to frictionally engage the records in line with locating holes therein, the greater arcuate peripheral portion of each wheel being narrower than the diameter of said holes whereby the feeding movement of the record is interrupted when the wheels engage therein, a wider record engaging portion on the periphery of each wheel for restarting each record after a predetermined pause, and means for rotating the wheels, the wheels being so spaced inthe direction of feed that the records are intermittently passed from one wheel to the next adjacent wheel.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

LEONARD W. LANGFORD. HARRY C. YAEGER.

ing so relatively spaced that each record is passed by one of said feeding means onto the succeeding feeding means and being inoperative to feed a record when engaged wlthin said holes, and means operating synchronously with the feeding means for intermit- 

